Wortham, program coordinator with the Family and Children’s Council, was instructing a group of area high schoolers attending the five-day Youth Employment and Leadership Program at UNI-CUE last week.

As instructed, the students formed a circle and tentatively moved to the center, joining right hands with the person across from them.

“Now find a left hand,” Wortham said.

Twisted and knotted into a tight group, the students were told to re-create their original circle, without letting go of anyone’s hand.

The activity, designed to boost communication, problem solving and teamwork, appeared to be a success as leaders began to emerge, advising fellow students what to do next.

“You need to go through there,” one student tells another. “And you guys need to go under there.”

The program, which aims to provide vital job-finding skills to 16- through 18-year-olds, is the culmination of the efforts of a group of area volunteers.

The Youth Employment Committee includes representatives from various local organizations, including Operation Threshold, Iowa Works, United Way and the Department of Human Services. Operation Threshold is the host agency and the organization that employs program coordinator Daniel Johnson.

“We are seeing that adolescents are not getting the same level of services,” said Al Hays, a University of Northern Iowa professor and committee member. “There is a need for older adolescents for enhanced job opportunities. We wanted to create a program that will help kids develop so-called soft skills like behavior, how to dress, attitude, discipline, showing up on time. The things most of us take for granted to be able to hold a job.”

With funding from the R.J. McElroy Trust, the Guernsey Foundation and a state block grant, the program was able to offer students instruction on topics ranging from ethics in the workplace to leadership skills, activities including mock interviews, resume writing and creating vision boards and guest speakers such as Wortham.

Esperanza Benitez’s board included pictures of makeup, high-heeled shoes and beautiful women. It also contains the words “dream,” “hope” and “believe.”

“I want to be a model,” Benitez said. “This makes it seem possible.”

Benitez, a 10th-grade Expo student, said the program has had a positive impact on her.

“It opened my eyes to a lot of things,” she said. “It showed me you have to set your mind on your goals.

“I see all the opportunities we have now that not many of our parents have had, and we need to take advantage of them.”

“It helped me build skills that I really needed,” said Billy Mace, who hopes to enlist in the Marines after he graduates. “It taught me leadership, to hold others accountable for their actions and to be responsible for mine.”

The students, from East, West, Cedar Falls and Expo high schools, were nominated for the program by school counselors, principals and staff and gave up a significant portion of their Spring Break to attend.

“We had 17 students nominated, and 15 showed up,” Johnson said. “At the beginning of the week, you’re not sure what kind of kids you’re going to get. The nominators really picked out some good, talented kids from the Cedar Valley.

“They showed me something this week.”

Johnson said about 75 percent of the students had never been interviewed for a job.

“We want to take what they already have and make it bigger,” Johnson said. “We want to give them some inspiration.”

At one point, Johnson showed the group a photo of himself at his high school graduation as well as his college degrees.

“That’s what I want for all of you,” he said.

“He is a good mentor,” Benitez said of Johnson. “He will motivate you and tell you can, when you think you can’t.”

“When we did the job interviews, a lot of people were saying ‘I can’t do this,’” Mace said. “Mr. Johnson said, ‘I did not work with you for a whole week to hear you say I can’t.’

“He showed us if you want something positive to happen, you gotta fight for it. If you aren’t going to give 100 percent, why even try?”

The program ended with a graduation ceremony.

“Graduation was awesome,” Johnson said. “Some parents showed up, volunteers made dinner, and the kids came in and received their certificates. It was really heartfelt.

“I had a student say, ‘I didn’t think I needed this, but I did.’”

“We are really excited we could actually make it happen,” Hayes said. “We have been getting the message from employers that this is a needed program with the high turnover rates and the lack of qualified applicants they are dealing with.”

Hays said the committee will continue to apply for additional funding and try to get employers or employer groups to support the program so it will become a recurring event.

“That is our hope,” he said.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.